An Indian court has convicted a high-profile former editor of an investigative news magazine of raping a junior colleague, overturning his acquittal in a case that drew nationwide attention.
Tarun Tejpal, 63, the founder and former editor of Tehelka magazine, was accused of raping a journalist in the lift of a five-star hotel in the western coastal state of Goa during an event in November 2013. He was arrested and spent seven months in jail until the supreme court granted him bail.
In 2021, a court in Goa acquitted Tejpal of charges including rape, sexual harassment and wrongful restraint. The verdict was challenged by the Goa government before the Bombay high court, which convicted Tejpal on Thursday.
Sunita Sawant, the Goa police investigator who led the case, told reporters: “This is a sentence where a girl has stood up for her rights … so this judgment is very important for women who are working in any sector.”
Tejpal will be sentenced later on Thursday. He has denied the accusations and can appeal against the verdict in a higher court.
The case emerged at a time when India’s handling of sexual assault cases was under intense scrutiny after the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old student on a Delhi bus in December 2012.
That attack triggered nationwide protests and international outrage, and prompted the government to strengthen the country’s rape laws.
Tejpal’s case severely damaged the authority and credibility of Tehelka, which had historically championed women’s rights and social justice. The magazine continues to operate under new leadership.
